Surviving corporate travel separation is not as hard as it was in previous generations. Technology just makes it much easier to stay connected today.

Imagine the same situation back in say, 1965. Long distance phoning was crazy expensive. There was no Internet, no video chat, no text messaging, no Couple app. Being apart really meant being apart.

When Steve’s away, we send each other multiple text messages a day. Sometimes the message is completely unremarkable (“Ugh, I just stubbed my toe. So annoying.”) or it may be significant (“Hey, I just got that big contract!”). Both kinds of messages are important because they replicate our communication when Steve’s home. We also usually talk via FaceTime or Skype once a day. Sometimes Steve’s hotel Internet is crappy and we can’t do video chat, but we still talk via voice. This regular communication makes being apart much easier. Couples from the 60s and 70s would call us cry babies for complaining.

I’ve heard of long-distance couples going to bed and leaving Skype on all night on the pillow their partner usually sleeps on. We’ve never gone to that extreme, but we have had a FaceTime date while watching an episode of Mad Men together. We watched on our laptops and used Facetime on our iPads. We both ordered pizza and paired it with red wine.

I was skeptical about this virtual dating idea at first, but it turned out to be a lot of fun and it was almost like being together. We commented throughout the show, virtually toasted each other with our wine glasses and enjoyed the common experience. We will definitely do it again.

How do you maintain your connection when your significant other is travelling?

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